Our Rabbit Hash: Center of the Universe movie 10 year anniversary party and re-release is this Saturday (December 13) at the Madison Theater in Covington! We are very excited to have The Fatman Ernie Brown (from 97.3 The Wolf) as M.C. and wonderful music provided by local favorites the Tillers and Ma Crow and the Ladyslippers! The folks who made the film will even present to talk about the production process.

Rabbit Hash Historical merchandise (including your very own copy of the DVD) will be for sale! Split the Pot! And Silent Auction!

We are really looking forward to this event and hope to see you all there!

Did You Know….that it was just around this same time of the year in 1847 that Rabbit Hash first got its name?
Boone County was experiencing about the same kind of weather back then that we are having now….a big early snowfall followed by a spring-like warm-up and then lots of rain. It was between Thanksgiving and Christmas time in this small, rural hamlet on the Ohio River. Before anyone knew it, the 1847 flood was washing away barns, hen houses, live stock, and whatever else its rushing waters could grasp. The people were watching in dismay as their lives, resources and well being were threatened and ruined.
“Oh, what shall we do for our holiday feasts and gatherings,” they lamented as they watched their plump, fattened hens and turkeys, and their smokehouses full of hams and shoulders, and their cellars full of potatoes and turnips all wash away?
As the rising waters drove the small game critters inland and upland, a very astute and cynical neighbor man consolingly commented, as he was seen loading his shotgun, “at least there will be plenty of rabbit hash!”
It was said that this fellow was the neighborhood jester and was never without the company of his dear friend ‘john barleycorn’. (Not many things change in Rabbit Hash!)
From that day on, the townsfolk nicknamed this old sage Rabbit Hash. Eventually, his moniker morphed over to include the entire community.
In 1919, the U.S. Postal Service had had enough. The official name of Rabbit Hash was really Carlton, because it was in the Carlton Magisterial District, which had been named after an early family that settled the area. Just about 35 miles down river was the town of Carrollton, a much larger and more populated town. It became quite a nuisance to the Postal Service when mail intended for Carlton ended up in Carrollton and vice versa. So they gave the folks in Rabbit Hash the ultimatum: choose a new name or we will assign one! It was a no-brainer.

My name is Don Clare and I am Lucy Lou’s town president. I want to announce this new feature on our Rabbit Hash Historical Society Web Page which I am calling “Did You Know?”.

I plan to update this feature on a regular basis with interesting tidbits about the town of Rabbit Hash’s past, present and future with whatever interesting stories, history, facts and myths, pictures and whatever else pops up and seems fun to share.

Today, I am featuring our press release (just click on it, above) about our December 13th, 2014 major fundraising event, the 10th anniversary celebration of the Rabbit Hash movie, Center of the Universe. This will take place at The Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky. Tickets are $10 each and are already available on The Madison’s Web site. This is going to be a huge party scene and get-together featuring some of our favorite musicians and the showing of the brand new re-digitized and re-colored version of the movie, in the now current state-of-the-art motion picture technology! Cash bar will be available and plenty of treats and surprises throughout this night of fun and levity. Please join us!

Did You Know that in the 1950s and 1960s, Sheeney Craig showed motion pictures on the lot next to the General Store for all the locals, kind of like an outside drive-in. He used a giant white sheet for the screen. It was a big gathering event for the whole neighborhood!

The Rabbit Hash Historical Society is committed to preserving, maintaining, and keeping alive this rare and treasured National Register District Ohio River town for generations to come. But we need your help to accomplish this mission. Even if you are unable to be an individual or corporate sponsor for this first annual major fundraiser, please consider sending an extra $10 or $20 donation for the cause. You love to visit Rabbit Hash, and we love to have you. Help us to keep this gem sparkling!

With the advent of warmer weather we are seeing an increase in daily visitors. The Rabbit Hash Historical Society would like to invite you to stop in the Department of Tourism (located in the foyer on the left side of the barn), where you can view old pictures and equipment and browse our new line of merchandise, gift items and souvenirs. Our items are affordably priced, (from $1 to $25) and every single dollar goes towards the preservation of Rabbit Hash KY. If Mayor Lucy Lou is in town feel free to step in to her office in the back of the barn. Her secretary is always happy to answer your questions about our highly unusual history! If you can’t make it down here, our online store will be up and running in a week or two…

Happy New Year from the Rabbit Hash Historical Society! Hope everyone is staying warm and dry in the Center of the Universe.

We’re taking advantage of the cold and dark winter months to plan for the coming year. Some long time board members have exited the ranks and new (to the board, but familiar around town) faces have replaced them. We’ve also been navigating the bureaucratic waters of the rest of the universe. (Unfortunately despite being the center of it doesn’t mean we’re exempt from it.) It may be our goal to make it feel like it is still 1831 in downtown Rabbit Hash but this world existing 183 years in the future has a lot of rules we have to follow…

Putting all of those old matters aside, we think it is time to move forward and are planning some important things for this coming year:

First, there’s a vital support beam in the Rabbit Hash General Store that needs to be replaced. This will be a big job carried out by our resident log master, Mr. Sawyer. In order to make this huge maintenance project possible, we’ll be having a fundraiser so keep your eyes peeled on details as they are worked out.

Also, come spring time, our lovely faces are going to have to be peeled off of the General Store and Iron Works and replaced with paint. Stay tuned for more information there as we get a plan in place. Suggestions, donations, and volunteers will of course be accepted and greatly appreciated.

We’re working on strengthening ties with our estranged sister across the river, Rising Sun, Indiana. It is her bicentennial year (she’s older!) and the folks of Rising Sun are planning some exciting events such as another boat regatta, a seaplane festival, a huge fireworks display, and who knows what else. They like to celebrate… and so do we so we’re working on ways to celebrate with them.

An ongoing project we have is the cataloguing, preservation, and organization of our artifacts significant to the history of the town. We’ve been working closely with the Boone County Library on digitizing our collection for accessibility (I’m sure you’ve seen photos from the excellent catalogue at the Kenton County library circulating online) and are working on plans and grants to make our museum a better environment for the storage and display of these treasured pieces of Rabbit Hash history.

And, lastly, this is a big year for the Rabbit Hash media machine: the 10 year anniversary of the release of the documentary film Rabbit Hash: The Center of the Universe. Some fun stuff is in the works there and we can’t wait to really get full-fledged planning going on that celebration!

So, that’s the word and our major goals and projects for the coming year!

The name Rabbit Hash originated after the 1847 flood devastated the community between Thanksgiving and Christmas, putting a damper on the celebrations and driving all of the rabbits to higher ground. When residents complained about the future of their holiday meals, one resident joked that at least there would be plenty of rabbit hash. This became the nickname of the town.

When a post office was established in 1879, the town’s official name was Carlton.Carlton had trouble receiving its mail because of confusion with Carrollton, Carroll County, Kentucky, just about 35 miles down the river. When residents of the town were asked to change its name, Rabbit Hash was the obvious choice.